Throttle control system



March 30, 1948. D. H. ANDREWS, JR., ErAL.

THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Oct. 16V, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 30, l943- D. H. ANDREWS, JR., ETAL 2,438,690

THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed oct. 1s, 194s 2 sheets-snm 2v INVENTORS DOUGLAS MNOREWJJR DONAL'D E. LIP/:ERT

Patented Mu. 3o, 194s THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM Douglas H. Andrews, Jr., West Hartford, and Donald E. Lipfert, Meriden, Conn., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Niles-Bement-Pond Company, West Hartford, Conn., a corporation `of New Jersey Application October 16, 1943, 'Serial No. 506,524

4 claims. 1

This invention pertains to throttle control systems for engines, especially engines of the internal combustion type.

An object of the invention is to provide a. system in which the throttle may be controlled manually or automatically, at the will of ther operator.

Another object is to provide a device in which the throttle may be set manually to a desired manifold pressure, after which the desired pressure is maintained automatically.

Further and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a detail view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical connections in greater detail; and

Fig.5 is a detail view showing indicating scales that may be provided.

The device maintains constant manifold pressure by means of a reversible electric motor once it is set manually to the pressure desired. Manual control is restored automatically whenever the electric circuit is broken. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention an evacuated bellows under inuence of the manifold pressure is effective to control the motor.

As illustrated, throttle I0 is in pipe I2 leading to manifold I4. The throttle may be controlled manually by hand lever I6, pivoted at I8 and connected at its lowerend, by pin 20, to one end of rod 22, which in turn is connected by pin 24 to the upper end of arm 26 having at its lower end a hub 28 surrounding throttle shaft 30, which is in axial alignment with shaft 32 of electric motor 34.

The end of motor shaft 32 is in the form of a flange 36 having a ring of serrations 38 extending axially. Throttle shaft 30 carries a collar 40 provided with a ring of serrations 42 similar to ring 38 on the motor shaft. Collar 40 is slidable axially on splines 44 in shaft 30, to place its serrations 42 into or out of engagement with serrations 38 on ange 36. Y A

The right-hand end of collar 40 is also provided with a ring of serrations 50 adapted to engage cooperating serrations on hub 28 of manual control arm 26. Collar 40 is constantly urged to the right by spring 48. Throttle shaft 30 is normally connected for manual control 2 through splines 44, slidable collar 40, serrations 50, hub 28, arm 28, rod 22 and lever I6, which, as indicated, opens the throttle when moved to the right and closes it when moved to the left.

Connected to manifold I4 by a passage 52 is a chamber 54 containing an evacuated bellows 56, the right-hand end of which has a disk-like head 58 constantly urged towards the right by a spring 60. The rim of the disk is perforated outside the bellows, as at 62, in order to avoid air cushion during movement of head 58.

The other (left) head 64 of the bellows is sealed to control rod 22 which enters the bellows and has at its end a disk 66, provided with points 68, 'I0 adapted for contact with points 12, 14 (mounted on head 58) respectively, upon movement of head 58 to the right or left.

From the above it will be appreciated that after the manifold pressure has been set by the operator at the point desired, head 64 of bellows 58 remains xed until it is moved manually. However, the position of the other head 58, depends on the forces acting on the bellows, i. e., manifold pressure, internal bellows pressure, spring force of the bellows itself, and the force of spring 60. The bellows and spring are so designed that for any setting of manifold pressure, which means a certain compression of spring 60, the equilibrium position of the bellows is such that points 68, 12 and 10, I4 are out of contact. Should the manifold pressure change a predetermined amount above or below the setting, contact will be made-by one or the other pair of points and the throttle will be restored to desired position by the motor, as will now be described, whereupon contact is broken and the motor stops.

Whenever automatic control is desired, switch 15 is closed, and while it is closed if pressure in chamber 56 changes to cause bellows head 58 to move to the right suiiciently to place point 12 in contact with point 68 current will flow from source 'I6 through wire 18, rod 22, disk 66, points 68, l2, wires 80,' 82, limit switch 84, Wire 86, motor 34 and wire 88.

Whenever current flows through -the motor solenoid S8 is energized Vand withdraws slidable collar 40 to the left against the resistance of spring 48, causing serrations 38, 42 to interengage, while simultaneously disengaging serrations 50 at the other end of collar 40. This means that throttle I8 through its shaft 30 and collar 40 is now under control of motor 34, and out of control of arm 26 and manual lever I6. The motor will rotate inproper direction to correct the manifold pressure, and when that has been 3 done points 98, 12, are separated `and the motor stops, solenoid 99 is deenergized, and spring 49 moves collar 43 to the right again, re-engaging serrations 93, thus restoring manual control. sleeve 9| ofmagnetizab'le material is secured-to the collar 43 and', in conjunction therewith, constitutes an effective armature, core, orplunger, for the solenoid'winding 93- Y Whenever the ma oldl pressure changes to permit contact between points '13, 14, current flows from sourceg19, .through wires 18, rod 22, points 19, 14, wires 92, 94, limitswitch 96, wire 91, motor 34 and wire89, solenoid 93 is energized and the parts will act as above described, except that the motor is reversed and the throttle will move in the opposite direction until the manifold pressure causes points 13, 14 to separate, thus stopping the motor.

The electrical connections are shown'diagrammatically in greater detail in Fig. 4. There it will be seen that the motor 34 comprises an amature v which is desired to be maintained. Closure of the Y switch 19 will then render the automatic system operative to maintain constant the particular manifold pressure which has been selected. The clutch magnet 93, when energized,` causes the teeth 93 to disengage and causes the collar 43 to be coupled to the motor shaft. When the motor 34 is disabled,A either by opening the switch 19 or 34| and two iield windings 342, 343, which latter are reversely woundror connected so that when the winding 342 is energized the armature 34| will rotate in one direction, and when the winding 343 is energized the armature 34| will rotate in the opposite direction. The clutch magnet. is preferably connected in series with the armature 34| as shown in full lines-at 93 in Fig. 4. So connected, the clutch-magnet is energized only when the motor 34 vis l energized.

An upstandingarm |32 secured to the throttle shaft 33 cooperates with-thenormally closed limit switches- 94, 99' -to limit themovement of the throttle shaft toa desired range and prevent injury to the apparatus. AIn one limit of movement the arm |32 opens the contacts 94 and in the opposite limit it opens the contacts 99, to deenergize the motor 34 and prevent over-running in either case. y

Whenever collar 4|I4 is drawn to the left by solenoid 93 upon energization of the motorand solenoid, serrations 93 are disengaged, whereby throttle shaft 33 andmanually-controlled arm 29 may change their relative angular positions, with the result that when the motor is de-energized and eollarr43 returned to the right again, serrations 93 may not re-engage the same notches as they engaged previously, and therefore manual lever I9 can no longer be depended upon to serve as an indicator of throttle position. To obviate that condition, serrations 93 may be supplemented or replaced by a one-position clutch in the form of a single tooth 99 on arm 29 and adapted to enter a notch |33 in' collar 43. A slight movement ot leverA IB-by the operator after collar 43 returns to the-right will bring the tooth and notch into alignment whereupon spring 49 will force them into engagement and the manual lever will again act as an'indicator of throttle position.

It will be understood, in view of the foregoing disclosures, that the Ysystem 'is operative and useful in the absence of the tooth 99 and notch |33. InV that case the operation-is as follows.

With the; switch 19 open, the automatic control is disabled,V the clutch magnet 93 is deenergized.' the collar V49`is in its right hand position in which it is disengaged from the toothed flange 39 of the motor shaft, the teeth or 'serrations 9 3 are in mesh, andv the [control of the throttle. is solely manual. i:.e. by operation of the handle or lever I9. To placethe system under the automatie-control'. the lever Il is so adjusted as to place'the contact disk 99 in a selected position A corresponding to'any particular manifold pressure by failure of the source of supply to the motor, the clutch magnet 93 is deenergized, the collar 43 is disconnected from the motor shaft, and the teeth 93 are operatively engaged to restore the throttle I3 to direct mechanical control byoperationof the lever |9.v It will be noted that the lever I9, through its associated instrumentalities, serves a dual function, i. e. (1) with the automatic system disabled'either deliberately as by opening the switch 19, or accidentally as. for example, by failure of .the source of supply, movement of the lever I9 causes movement of the throttle I3 through the interposed mechanical connections,

and- (2) to adjust the position of the contact disk from that which existed before automatic con-l trol was effected. This does not defeat utility of the apparatus'but simply means that during repeated and extended operation oi the system the lever I9 is not always in the same relative position with respect to the throttle I3.

The advantage oi' providing the single tooth 99 and notch |93, or equivalent means, in place of or in supplement to the teeth or serrations 93. is that when the clutch magnet or solenoi'd93 becomes deenergized the throttle lever I9 may be readily aligned to its desired relative position with respect to the throttle I3. by moving the throttle lever until the single tooth 93 clicks into the notch |93.

As shown in Fig. 5. the throttle lever I9 may4 be provided with two stationary scales'433 and 933. The scale 433 indicates throttle position when the control of the throttle |3 is solely manual, i. e. when the automatic system is not in operation. Having in mind that the lever I9 serves also to select the position of the contactv disk 99 corresponding to the particular manifold pressure desired to be maintained constant, the scale 933 may be calibrated to indicate the desired range of manifold pressures. By positioning the lever I 9 with respect to any selected pressure indicated on the scale 933, the contact disk 99 will be placed in such position that the automatic system will maintain the manifold pressure constant at the desired particular value indicated by the leverA I9 on the scale 9 93.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and'described, but may be used Yin other ways without departure from its spirit as said electric moving means with said throttle, said clutch being so constructed as to be effective upon disconnection of said electric moving means and connection of said manualv moving means with said throttle for causing said manual moving means to indicate the position of said throttle.

2. lThe invention set forth in claim 1, in which either of said moving means is effective for moving said throttle in either direction.

3. A throttle control system for regulating manifold pressures comprising, in combination, a manual means and an electric means for adjusting the throttle, a single solenoid, a clutch controlled by the solenoid comprising a member movable lnone direction when the solenoid is energized to connect the electric means to the throttle and in the opposite direction when the solenoid is deenergized to disconnect the motor and connect the manual means to the throttle, and means eiective when the manual means is connected to the throttle to cause the manual means to indicate visibly the position of the throttle.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which 6 the manual means is operable to change the adjustment of the throttle while the solenoid is deenergized. f

DOUGLAS H. ANDREWS, JR. DONALD E. LIPFERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the o ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 16,663 Walworth Feb. 17, 1857 1,566,376 Couty Dec. 22, 1925 2,161,070 McDonough June 6, 1939 2,192,714 Norman Mar. 5, 1940 2,252,009 Kenny Aug. 12, 1941 2,313,505 Benjamin Mar. 9, 1943 2,340,999 Trott Feb. 8, 1944 2,358,363 k Truesdell Sept. 19, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 307,444 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1929 

